Hauptbahnhof Station, Berlin

The tram stop at the main station serves as both a landmark for travelers and an important piece of infrastructure connecting the eastern and western parts of the once-divided city. Located in the middle of Invalidenstraße, the stop—inaugurated in 2015—forms an oasis of calm amid the hustle and bustle surrounding the main station. The two sweeping roofs, with their elongated concrete parapets facing the street, offer protection from both the elements and the traffic chaos. Every day, 15,000 passengers enjoy this brief moment of tranquility amid the rhythm of arrivals and departures. The station’s roofs were designed as structural shell structures with double curvature. The double curvature is achieved with high points at the outer transverse edges and toward the tracks, and low points at the supports near the S-Bahn exit. The use of high-strength lightweight concrete (LC 45/50) resulted in significant weight savings. To further minimize the dead weight, stainless steel reinforcement was selected for the outer shell section, which is only 7 centimeters thick. The airy design of the curved roofs, which defines the cityscape, was developed in collaboration with the structural engineers at schlaich bergermann und partner.

ULRICH FINSTERWALDER CIVIL ENGINEERING AWARD – JURY’S STATEMENT
The task of developing a design concept for a stop on a new tram line at Berlin’s Hauptbahnhof resulted in a modern station whose canopy consists of two symmetrically curved concrete shells, each 58 meters long and 6 meters wide. The double-curved shape enables a shell-like structural behavior that minimizes bending moments. In the outer areas, there is virtually no curvature; here, the roof functions as a point-supported slab. The deeply cantilevered roofs are supported at the street-side edge by steel columns.
The design, realized by the engineering firm schlaich, bergermann and partner, impresses both from a design and engineering perspective with its elegant roof structure, in which the innovative use of high-strength lightweight concrete in combination with stainless steel reinforcement made it possible to achieve a very thin shell thickness of just 7 cm at the edges.
In the jury’s opinion, the long-span structural system excellently meets the requirements of the Ulrich Finsterwalder Civil Engineering Award in terms of construction, innovation, interdisciplinarity, aesthetics, and sustainability, and is therefore receiving an award.